"Believe it or not, these students understood the acoustics and behavior of sound to the extent that they were able to come up with some extremely novel solutions to the problem they faced," West, who himself co-invented the microphone used in most cellphones, recalled.

The inventor worked with students as the first participant in the school's visiting inventor program, which Knight Foundation funded in addition to supporting the National Invention Gallery.

The middle school selects its students through a lottery on the belief that - if given the chance - any child can succeed in the fields of science, technology, engineer and math, The new building is located next to Invent Now, which honors inventors and inventions.

Submit your E-mail. Receive updates and the New @Knightfdn newsletter.

Submit

Email Address

Our Mission

Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. We believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged.